Flames of Opportunity
by MasterAirbender
Summary: What if Aang found the Fire Lord on the Day of Black Sun? Is he prepared? Will he be able to overcome the Fire Lord's power and cunning? Oneshot.


**A/N: **Hey everybody! This is my first fanfic, so please go easy! :P Constructive criticism is always welcome, as there will always be room for improvement. Enjoy and thanks so much for reading! :)

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**Flames of Opportunity**

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Aang's feet landed softly on the smooth stone steps of the Fire Lord's palace. The great walls loomed close around him, intricately decorated with detailed pieces depicting past Fire Lords. Aang flinched as he caught sight of the painting of Fire Lord Sozin. Without him the world would not have been plunged into war.

It was eerily quiet, except for the faint sound of the invasion in the distance. Aang could hear the chink of metal against metal, the splash of water, the crash of earth. One sound was absent however. The flares and bursts of fire that would have been rampaging through the battle.

Today was the day of the Eclipse. The day of Black Sun. Firebenders were powerless for the precious eight minutes that the eclipse lasted. And this was the very reason Aang was at the Fire Lord's palace this very moment – the eclipse had just begun.

Aang's friends all believed he was ready to face the Fire Lord, but Aang had doubt in his heart. He didn't feel ready. How could he be a fully realized Avatar when he had only mastered three of the four elements? But this was the best possible time to take down the Fire Lord and end this war, so he had to take the chance.  
Aang began to walk forward, but then remembering the urgency broke into a fast paced run. He tried not to think about what lay ahead.

When he reached the door, the young Avatar brought his staff around and aggressively Airbended the door open – and at the same time, shouted in the most confident voice he could muster, "The Avatar is back!"  
And there, sitting on his elaborate red throne, was Fire Lord Ozai.

"I've been expecting you, Avatar Aang," he said icily, making Aang's blood run cold.  
"H-How -" he broke off, realising he only had a few minutes left. "Today is the day of the eclipse," he shouted "the day you are powerless and I will defeat you!"  
The Fire Lord's bright amber eyes glistened and he laughed manically. "I may not have my bending, but you still cannot defeat me."

Giving an angry shout of defiance, Aang leapt through the air, sending a gust of air flying at the Fire Lord. By this time the powerless Firebender was on his feet, and he ducked the attack easily, with a swift movement. This only angered Aang more. Bringing his foot to the ground, a rock rose and he kicked it in the direction of Ozai, then spinning a ball of air in his hand, sent that aggressively towards the Fire Lord as well. But again Ozai simply dodged his attacks, one after the other.

Aang quickly surveyed the entire room, searching for any sign of water. Just as he had guessed, there was none in sight. He would have to stick with what he had and make the most of his time. Bringing up two more slabs of earth, he moved them towards the Fire Lord more quickly and aggressively than his previous assault. The Fire Lord was in the process of dodging when the edge of the second rock hit him on the shoulder. He gasped a little as he was thrown back against the wall. Aang sprinted up to him and pointed his staff at the fallen Fire Lord.

He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Everything Gyatso and the monks had taught to him one hundred years ago came back like a wave drowning him.

_All life is sacred. _

Then suddenly a huge explosion of fire erupted around him, encircling him, imprisoning him. The horrible realization took over his mind, drowning his previous thoughts. The eclipse had ended. He had missed his chance. Aang could feel the horrible pain of fire burning his skin. The Fire Lord had taken the very first chance he had been given and attacked ruthlessly. The young Avatar tumbled onto the ground, his whole body burning. Aang scrambled to his feet, trying to clear his blurry vision. He could make out the silhouette of a ruthless Fire Lord approaching him. Ozai clenched his hand into a tight fist, and then brought it down in a diagonal motion, emitting fire from his hand.

Aang reached for his staff, which was lying on the ground a few inches away from him. His fingers closed around it just in time to defend himself from the Fire Lord's second attack.

Aang scrambled to his feet, beginning to regain his balance. Grinning horribly, the Fire Lord lifted his head to the ceiling and let out a blood-curdling roar, shooting fire from his mouth in a huge burst of red, yellow and orange. Aang gasped and took a step back. He was beginning to shake with fear. How was he possibly going to defeat the Fire Lord now?

Ozai took a deep breath, glancing down at his palms. "My Firebending … has returned!" he bellowed, once again emitting huge quantities of flame from his palms.  
Aang's eyes widened; he could feel the heat of the approaching attack. But then his instincts kicked in, and he quickly countered by moving his palms upwards in one swift motion to bring up a large wall of rock to repel the dangerous tongues of flame.

To Aang's horror and surprise, the earth wall smashed, and the furious Fire Lord burst through. And this time he was too quick for the Avatar. He threw a fist of flame inches from Aang's face, before he had any time to defend himself. Once again Aang's skin began to sear, and he fell to the ground. This time he had had enough.

He had to get out of here before it was too late. Aang made a desperate dash for the entrance of the palace. He could hear the Fire Lord right behind him, still sending fists of flame towards him without hesitation.  
As soon as he reached the open, Aang extended his glider and Airbended himself into the air, not waiting to look behind him and trying to ignore the tremendous pain.

As the distance between the Avatar and the Fire Lord broadened, Aang began to feel more and more furious with himself. How could he be such a coward? How could he just flee from the moment his whole journey had been building up to?

He didn't know the answers to either of these questions. But Aang did know one thing. Next time he would be prepared. Next time he would be a master of Firebending. _Next time I will be ready_, he vowed to himself. _This isn't over yet._


End file.
